“You tried to kill me while we were in the womb—how could I ever like you?”
Her mouth tightened. “I don’t know why you insist on claiming I did that. We were babies, for God’s sake.”
“Mom says I came out of the womb bruised. I believe her.”
She propped her hands on her hips. “Even if I had hurt you, which is highly unlikely, it doesn’t mean I tried to kill you.”
Alex shrugged. “Whatever you say, Skindiana Jones.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Stop starving yourself. Seriously, how can someone who once gave birth to twins be all skin and bones? Makes no sense to me.”
Her nostrils flared. “Was there something you wanted, shithead?”
“The vein in your head to pop.”
Just then, a tall blond male came strolling out of the rear of the barbershop. Dominic nodded, his mouth curving into his usual easy smile. “Hey, Alex.”
Alex merely tipped his chin. Before he’d met Mila, the wolf had been the ultimate ladies’ man who, for some odd reason, used cheesy lines on every mated female he met—risking his life in the process. Now, he only used those lines on Mila.
Alex didn’t like many people, but it was impossible not to like Dominic.
Two young children, bickering like crazy, trailed after their father. The little girl hissed in her twin brother’s face, who then growled in hers.
“Ah, such a heart-warming sight,” said Alex.
Emilia’s head snapped toward him, making her dark curls bounce. Her eyes went wide. “Uncle Alex!” She dashed over to him, giggling when he scooped her up.
He didn’t like kids much, but his niece and nephew? They were the shit. “Why do you have sugar in your hair?”
“Long story,” the pallas kit replied. Which basically meant she didn’t want to tell him.
Alex looked down at his nephew, who was holding his tablet close to his chest. “I like your new haircut, Dillon.”
“You should put her down before she bites you,” the wolf pup advised. “Or ask a vet to do it.”
Emilia hissed. “Daddy, the mongrel’s saying I need to be put down again!”
“So,” Alex cut in before the siblings could argue further. “What’ve you been up to while I was gone, Em?”
“Driving my brother slowly insane.”
“It’s good to have goals.”
Mila gasped. “Alex!”
He rolled his eyes but said sternly to his niece, “You should be nice to your brother. And Dillon, you should be nice to your sister.” Alex gave his own sister a “There, satisfied?” look.
“You’re not nice to Mommy,” Emilia pointed out.
“She tried to kill me in the womb.”
Mila snarled. “I did not do that.”
“But you did once try to bury him alive,” Dillon said to her. “Uncle Isaak told me,” he added, referring to one of Valentina’s brothers.
Mila took a deep breath and then looked from one child to the other, her face strangely tranquil. “What is the all-important lesson that Mommy taught you so you could survive in this family?”
“All wolverines lie,” both kids said in unison.
She beamed at them. “That’s right.” Mila sliced her gaze back to Alex, her smile shrinking. “Now, is there a reason you’re here other than to irritate me?”
Alex set a wriggling Emilia on the floor, who then started climbing Evander like he was a tree. “I thought you might want to know what the hyenas wanted with Bree.” Alex relayed what the female pallas cat had told him in his office.
“I should have gone out there and chased them off,” said Mila.
“Wouldn’t have made any difference.” Alex turned to Dominic and described the hyenas. “They sound familiar to you?”
The wolf shook his head. “Never met a hyena named John Jones, either. But I’ll pass on what happened to my pack mates and see if they know anything.”
Seeing that Mateo was deep in conversation with Archie, Alex leaned into his sister and spoke only loud enough for her and Dominic to hear. “You had any luck prying out of Mateo what he and Bree argued about?”
“He wouldn’t say,” Mila replied just as quietly. “He’s been very close-lipped about it.” She sighed. “He looks so sad, doesn’t he?”
He did. Even as the twins—always a riot—talked with him, each tilt of Mateo’s lips was forced, and every chuckle was weak.
“I don’t know if I should feel bad for him or not,” Mila went on. “I mean, I don’t like to see him look so miserable. But Bree wouldn’t have cut him off without a good reason, which begs the question … what did he do?”
Yeah, just what had he done? Because if it was anything truly bad, Alex would pummel the bastard into the fucking ground.
When Mateo turned to say his goodbyes, Alex said, “I was talking to Bree earlier. You came up in our conversation.”
Mateo’s eyes briefly flickered with something. Unease, maybe? “I did?”
“Yeah. I asked why she’s shut you out, but she wouldn’t say.” And if Alex didn’t know any better, he’d think Mateo looked relieved by that.
“You should try talking to her,” Mila told him.
Mateo’s gaze dropped to the floor. “She won’t take my calls.”
“Then go see her,” Mila advised. “You know where she lives.”
“Maybe I will.” Mateo forced yet another wan smile. “I’ll see you all soon.” He practically scurried out of the shop.
Archie sighed. “Something is eating at him.” He looked at Alex. “Maybe you could speak to Bree about it and find out what happened.”
“I tried,” Alex told him. “She wouldn’t say.”
“I can’t understand why they’d both be so secretive about it,” said Archie.
Neither could Alex.
“You’re such a loser!” Dillon yelled at Emilia, who snatched his tablet and then ran, laughing like a loon. With a battle cry worthy of a highlander, Dillon chased her into the break room.
Mila sighed. “It never stops. Never.”
“Ah, don’t get stressed, baby.” Dominic curled an arm around his mate and pulled her close. “On another subject, does my tongue taste funny to you?”
Mila groaned. “Seriously, will you always be so weird?”
“Most likely,” said Dominic. “Hey, don’t get all frowny. How about we play a game later to cheer you up? We haven’t tried ‘The Tiger and the Tiger Tamer’ yet. All you need to do is open your mouth wide, and I’ll feed you the meat. I promise it’ll be fun.”
Mila planted her palm in her mate’s face and shoved him back.
Dominic laughed and drew her back to him. “I’ve got a better idea of what we could do tonight.” He whispered something into her ear that made her blush.
“Not freaking happening, GQ,” she said.
“Oh, come on—you could just imagine that it’s hair serum or something.”
“God, you are hopeless.”
“Yeah, I know.”
As the elevator doors of his apartment complex slid open, Alex sighed. A familiar figure was sitting outside the front door of his apartment. It was a sight he’d found several times before leaving for his trip. Hell, he’d only been back home a few hours and she’d already showed up. He was tired of this shit.